Challenge
by LeDiz
Summary: Hiccup and Toothless changed the world, but Thawfest still proved Snotlout as the best viking of their age, right? And that makes him the best choice as Stoick's heir, right? So he should challenge Hiccup for the position... right?
1. Snotlout stumbles on a spinning axis

_**Challenge**_

_(Snotlout stumbles on a spinning axis)_

**DISCLAIMER:** Just stopping by after watching too much Dragons. Don't mind me…

* * *

Despite the conflict of Thawfest and Hiccup's momentary lapse into arrogant jerkishness, the celebrations are going well, with everyone laughing and cheering. Even Snotlout knows the celebration isn't really for him so much as the thaw itself, but they congratulate him constantly anyway, and he feels the warm glow of pride.

Now that it's over, he's almost glad this year was so close. It's been the most exciting Thawfest ever, even better than the year Astrid had refused to stand beside Fishlegs or Hiccup and so ended up unhindered. She'd won an event that year, but everything being designed around upper body strength rather than speed or agility had crushed her chances anyway.

So he's sitting happily with arm around Hiccup, boasting loudly and pretending to cheer him up. "You did good, Hiccup. Well, that's a lie, you did lousy, and if you didn't have such an awesome dragon, you wouldn't have had a chance no matter what the events were, but you did okay! You know, for a hiccup."

"Yup," Hiccup says blandly, barely reacting to Snotlout tugging him around like a ragdoll. "Thanks, Snotlout. I guess you were just the uh, better –"

"The better viking, that's right. Me."

He does see Astrid smirk at Hiccup, her eyes dark and knowing, and he's vaguely aware of Hiccup meeting her gaze with an equally weird look, but it cuts off when Snotlout yanks him to the side, raising his tankard in an impromptu toast.

"I would just like to remind everyone what this really means," he continues, ignoring the rolling of Ruffnut's eyes and how Fishlegs doesn't even look up from his meal. "It means that no matter how cool dragons are, or how much the village has changed, being a viking is still about strength, and coolness, and raw, physical po-wah! Which I have in spades, and Dragon-boy Hiccup does not. I am still the best viking of our age. That's right: me. Oh yeah."

It's supposed to end there, with Astrid and Hiccup exchanging their weird looks again, maybe Ruffnut and Tuffnut will snap and tell him to shut it, or retribution coming from Toothless in the form of a tail to the head, but all of that is cut off by a heavy hand on his back.

"That's right!" his father announces, voice cutting through the laughter of the great hall like an axe. "My boy is the best viking of his age! Soon, he'll be ready to claim his rightful place, Stoick!"

And just like that, everything stops.

All the laughter, all the celebrations. It's still and silent and Snotlout has never, ever wanted to be anywhere else so much in his life.

"I'd say we have a few years to go before I have need to take challengers, Spitelout," Stoick says coolly, from the other side of the fire. "But if your son does want to challenge me for my home, I'll stand."

But that isn't the challenge his father means, and they all know it. Snotlout hunches his shoulders and peeks at Hiccup sideways, who swallows hard but has always been man enough to meet his glance. It's an awkward kind of camaraderie, new and strange, but Snotlout takes a little comfort in it anyway.

Gobber, beautiful, wonderful Gobber, breaks the tension with a dry laugh. "Aye, and we'll be peeling our reigning Thawfest champion from the walls. Let's give him a few days to bask in his glory before we go scraping up his remains, eh?"

The vikings laugh, harsh and forced, but it's enough of an excuse for everyone to go back to their conversations.

But it's too late. Everyone is now glancing at their table. Toothless senses the tension and hurries up close to Hiccup, who smiles and slings an arm over his dragon's neck before clearing his throat. "So… Anyone up for flying?"

"Totally," Ruffnut says, and Tuffnut nods.

"Let's get out of here before Spitelout puts you two in a ring," he says, and then yelps as both Ruffnut and Astrid elbow him hard. "What? That's why we're leaving, right?"

"Urgh… Let's just go," Hiccup says, and they all do.

Thawfest suddenly feels kinda lame.

* * *

It annoys Snotlout how nice Hiccup is about losing. He's not bitter, he's not angry. He just smiles and sighs and exchanges little glances with Astrid, the same way he does about everything. It's annoying.

"It's Hiccup," Fishlegs points out, and Snotlout glares at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He does that funny face he does sometimes, the one that a year ago would have been him whimpering apologies, but now occasionally turns into a judging scowl. Fishlegs has really grown a backbone now they ride dragons.

"You think after all we've done to him since we were kids holds a candle to one stupid Thawfest competition?" he asks, and raises his eyebrows as he goes back to scrubbing Meatlug's toes. "It's not like it ended any differently to any other year."

Snotlout glares, but all his arguments fail before they even make it to the back of his throat. Fishlegs is right, same as he always is, because Snotlout _always_ wins Thawfest. The only difference is that this time, it wasn't a clean sweep.

He realises now that even through his panic in the second half of Thawfest, he was kind of relieved when Hiccup talked back to him. He hated having his cage rattled, but there was something… _good_ about Hiccup finally showing some – some – not nice-ness. After sixteen years, finally, Hiccup is –

Wait, what?

"Hey, whaddaya mean after all we've done?" Snotlout demanded, and Fishlegs stares at him blankly. It's been almost five minutes since they last spoke, focussed on washing the grime from their dragons, and Snotlout's been lost in his thoughts. He scowls at Fishlegs for his short attention span. "We haven't done anything to Hiccup that everyone else didn't do."

"Duh," he says. "That's the point."

"What? What's the point?"

"Like Hiccup's gonna care about losing Thawfest. He's been a loser our whole _lives_," he explains impatiently. It's aggravating, and normally Snotlout would punch him for treating him like an idiot, but right now he's got more pressing concerns, so he lets Fishlegs continue. "What, you think just because he's good with dragons now, he's going to care about not being good at the other stuff?"

It takes Snotlout a little while to understand that theory—the other stuff is more important than anything, and it's why Snotlout's so proud of his Thawfest streak—and it's days before he makes the rest of the connection.

Hiccup's been so stupidly nice, even since the whole dragon thing started. He's always been nice. A smart-alec, and sarcastic, and occasionally he'll talk like they're all idiots, but mostly nice.

And that's just stupid.

If it was Snotlout who had been treated like a waste of space—like an embarrassment—for any time, let alone his entire life, he wouldn't be taking this whole thing lying down. He'd be making sure everyone knew how stupid they'd been to treat him so bad. He'd be wanting tribute. He'd be making sure everyone knew he was mad, and he wasn't forgiving, and he sure wasn't going to be forgetting any time soon.

If he had the power over the dragons that Hiccup does, with the history Hiccup has, he would be making sure everyone knew how good they needed to treat him to stop him raining literal fire and brimstone down from his perch up on the unholy offspring of lightning and death.

But Hiccup doesn't. Even when the tribe looks to him, all begging him for help and advice, he just nods thoughtfully and gets on with it. Like he doesn't remember last year, or any of the years before.

It's a stupid way to do things, and for some reason it makes Snotlout feel even worse about everything that's going to happen.

* * *

Days. It takes days before his dad stops crowing over Thawfest.

At home, in the great hall, in the square, everywhere. He's not quiet about it. Stoick looks like he's about ready to tie him to an anchor and go for a long sail. But Spitelout doesn't care, telling everyone about how _his son_ won the games, how _his son_ is the best young viking, how _his son_ will be the next chief.

It's nothing new. He does it every year. Normally, Snotlout would be bursting with pride, preening under his father's arm and adding his own spin when Spitelout stops for air.

But this year it's different.

"Just think about it, son," Spitelout says urgently over the hearth one night. "All you have to do is challenge Hiccup, and it's done."

This year, they're old enough to do something about it.

Last year, it was a given. As soon as their generation came of age, either Snotlout or Astrid would challenge Hiccup, and a new heir would be named. Chances were it would be Snotlout, because his father was head of the boats, while Astrid's family were just warriors. He was bred to lead. Hiccup would be gone, and finally, their tribe would prosper.

Last year, they were just waiting for the next thaw, when the teenagers would hit the midway point, and everyone could officially give up on Hiccup becoming something worthwhile.

Snotlout isn't as excited as he thought he'd be.

He skulks around in the shadows, watching his father pretend to inspect the half-filled armoury, when Gobber finally snaps. "Oh, aye, he's old enough to challenge, and he'd win, too. Challenger picks the weapon, and it wouldn't matter if he picked feather pillows; Hiccup'd be down for the count in less than a minute."

Spitelout smirks and puts down the sword he's been looking at, but Gobber's not finished.

"The problem is that Hofferson girl. Devoted to Hiccup, she is. Practically promised, as I'm sure everyone in the village knows right well."

Snotlout rolls his eyes at that stupid idea – Astrid is going to realise what she's missing soon enough.

"Y'know what'll come of that, don't ye Spitelout? The moment Snotlout becomes heir, she'll challenge him. And that girl's a proper viking, she won't even give him time to get comfortable before she's wanting to fight," Gobber says, as casual as an axe-blade. "I was there for their dragon training, Spitelout. How well do _you_ think your boy'll go against Astrid?"

Spitelout pauses, and Snotlout has to cringe. Thawfest is one thing. A fight, against Astrid, who would be scary even if she wasn't a girl, is something else.

And Gobber's right. Astrid would do it. Not that Hiccup ever uses it, but being hope and heir to the Hooligan tribe means he does have the right to order people around. Last year, no one would have taken him seriously, and this year he gets authority mostly because he only uses it with his father's backing on dragon problems, but Snotlout knows he and Astrid wouldn't leave it there.

If Astrid becomes hope and heir, her first order of business would be chaining the new exile to her side. Sure, it would be demeaning and emasculating as Hel's own business, but slavery would keep Hiccup around.

"Stoick wouldn't allow it," Spitelout says finally. "We all know what she'd be doing to keep that boy around, and Stoick wouldn't have it."

"I dunno about that, Spitelout. There're other things to think about if Hiccup was in exile, after all," Gobber points out. "If he became an _outcast_, so to speak."

It takes a few seconds before the words sink in and click. Exile does mean outcast. Outcast. Alvin. If Alvin found out Hiccup was exiled, it wouldn't take long before…

Oh, _snap_.

Gobber and Fishlegs know all about dragons, but Hiccup _understands_ them. The rest of them have their own dragons, and cautiously approach the others, but Hiccup can ride any dragon in the village with just a quick smile and pat on the head. Snotlout's pretty sure Hiccup could train any dragon he met, given enough time.

Alvin knows that. Everyone knows that.

A glint in the shadows makes Snotlout look up and across to the door behind Gobber and Spitelout, and just for a second, he sees Hiccup with a basket of daggers. There's no way to tell whether he's heard the conversation, because all he does is put down the basket and leave, only the quiet clack of his leg making any sound in the silence.

Snotlout wraps his arms around himself and finds he's having trouble breathing.

* * *

He could do it.

It's a good plan.

Simple, even.

Go to Astrid first, make the deal. Then challenge Hiccup. Win. Talk very fast to Stoick. Chain Hiccup before he gets to the boats. Easy.

Easy.

So why does he feel so _un_easy?

He can feel Hookfang's eyes on his back as he stares out over the archipelago. He's not sure what either of them are looking at, but Snotlout can't get his mind off the race he won last week. For some reason, he just can't help thinking…

_How_ did he win?

Hiccup's the best flyer. Nightfuries are the fastest dragons they've ever encountered. Even with all the delays he had, Hiccup was beating him, right up until…

What happened? Did the tailfin break, or something? Toothless wanted to win as much as Hiccup, so it's not like he would have gone on one of his random side trips.

Snotlout can't breathe.

He should have lost.

He should have lost Thawfest.

But – but Hiccup wouldn't have let him win. Not with everything that happened. Not… Hiccup… _no one_ is that stupid.

Wait. Of course no one's that stupid. Not even Hiccup. Him being such a jerk during most of the dragon events proved it. So – so even if Hiccup did… Snotlout was supposed to win. He was the best viking. He was supposed to win.

Hiccup knows that. Hiccup knows he's the better viking.

Hiccup will go along with the plan.

"I – I can just tell him," he says, and turns to Hookfang with eyes that feel just a little too wide. "I can tell him the plan, and Hiccup will go along with it. Right? So it's not like – it's not like I'm doing anything _wrong_. I'm doing what's best for the tribe. Right?"

Amazingly, Hookfang is actually paying attention, but has nothing to say in response. He just blinks back, like he's waiting for something.

Which he is, Snotlout realises wildly. Waiting for him to get on. Waiting for him to ride to the smithy, where Hiccup is, where he can tell Hiccup the plan. Hiccup will go along with it. Hiccup will tell him what to d- no, uh, agree with what he has to do. Because it's his plan, and it's a good plan, and…

Hiccup. He needs to talk to – he needs to _tell_ Hiccup.

* * *

He lands near the smithy just as Astrid is storming out of it, yelling wordlessly over her shoulder, and for a moment, Hookfang stumbles back and Snotlout lets him. An angry Astrid scares them all.

But then she's gone and he's free to climb down and head over, and he most definitely does not peek around the doorway because that would be cowardly. He is, however, okay with flinching back when all he sees is Toothless' snarl telling him to get out. Toothless is a Nightfury.

"What? What, Astrid? What else did you want to say?" Hiccup's voice is shorter, sharper and angrier than Snotlout's ever heard before, and Snotlout leans back against the wall with wide eyes, not sure if he wants to go in now. But Hiccup falters and it makes it easier. "Astrid? Toothless, what…?"

"Uh, yeah," Snotlout calls, and allows Hiccup a moment to register his voice before standing straight again. If it delays him having to face Toothless for another few seconds, he'll do it. "Yeah, it's me. Snotlout. Jorgenson. Snotlout Jorgenson," he adds, just in case.

There's a pause, before Hiccup sighs loudly. "You know what? Whatever. Go away."

He still sounds angry, but it's the version Snotlout's more familiar with – the tired, frustrated angry that Hiccup has been for sixteen years. So Snotlout swings around the doorframe, confident right up until he realises Toothless hasn't moved, and is still baring his teeth.

"Uh, Hiccup? You wanna… wanna do something about him?"

Hiccup is standing at Toothless' flank, just in front of the door to his room. It suddenly occurs to Snotlout that he's only been in there a couple of times, and never long enough to know anything about it beyond the fact it's Hiccup's and filled with paper. But he knows he's only looking at the door to avoid looking at Hiccup, so he mans up and turns his gaze. Hiccup stares back without an expression.

"No," he says finally, and turns away. "Smithy's locked down for the night and he's security. You want a sword, come back in the morning."

Toothless immediately snarls again, surging forward and making Snotlout backpedal.

"Whoa, hey, whoa, _Hiccup_!"

His voice does not crack. Or squeak. And he isn't relieved when Hiccup turns back again, somehow making Toothless stop without any other movement or word.

Snotlout calms his breathing and looks between dragon and rider silently, waiting. He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't remember what he came here for. But he needs to – Hiccup needs – he can't leave now, either. Not until he's won or Hiccup's not-lost.

"What do you want, Snotlout?" Hiccup asks flatly. No one can make their voice as flat as Hiccup can.

"I – I came – I…" He looks over his shoulder, but Hookfang is neck-deep in a feeding bowl now, and everyone's in the great hall or at home. He wonders where Astrid went. "What… what was Astrid doing here?"

For a long time, Hiccup doesn't say anything. When Snotlout looks back, Hiccup continues to frown at him for a minute, before it's like something breaks in his back. His shoulders slump and he suddenly becomes the Hiccup Snotlout remembers from last year – beaten and tired and so far beyond frustration that even caring is hard.

"Same thing as you, I imagine," he says, flinging a hand at him. "Getting all riled up about the Heir Challenge that's probably gonna happen soon."

He disappears into his room, and Snotlout looks down at Toothless. The dragon hesitates, caught between trying to follow Hiccup and keeping anyone else from coming in. Eventually, he gives up and just lies down, glaring at Snotlout but allowing him to creep past and peer into the smaller room.

"I know, okay? I know how this works," Hiccup says the moment Snotlout steps into the doorway. He's sitting at the weird angled plank thing that's usually covered in paper and charcoal, but he's facing away from it for once, massaging his knee. "I'm not going to be chief. Astrid is the only one who wants me to be. Everyone's been waiting for you to challenge me since we were like five. It's old news."

Snotlout rubs the back of his neck, because he's not really sure what to say.

"I've been waiting my whole life for that challenge," Hiccup says quietly. "Just… waiting. Everything I've ever done has been just making sure I have some… some reason for Dad to just exile me, instead of letting me get killed."

Snotlout looks up from the floor he hadn't realised he was watching, realising that a few years ago, Stoick probably would've preferred his son died in an Heir Challenge. There was honour in that, at least. The one honourable thing Hiccup would have done in his life. Snotlout would've done it, too. But when the chief's wife died, it didn't seem right anymore.

But Hiccup is still talking. "And of course I screw that up too! I finally do something right, finally do something to make my dad proud of me, and it turns out to be the one thing that means I can never be exiled!" he cries, his chest heaving as bad as Snotlout's. "The one thing the village can't afford to let anyone else have. So I can't leave the village. I either stay, or I die. Of course this is how it ends."

Oh yeah. Snotlout drops his gaze back to the floor. The Hooligans haven't been a part of the slave trade for a hundred years. Killing Hiccup is probably the better plan.

He could…

He could do that, right?

He's a viking. Vikings kill all the time. He's killed sheep before. Yaks. Boars. All sorts of things. He could kill a person. He's sure of it. He could kill…

He can't breathe again.

"Thing is," Hiccup drawls, forcing him to look up again, "me dying is kind of not an option here. I am not letting Toothless stay downed, so I'm gonna remake his automatic tailfin before I accept any challenge. And without me, he'd…"

They both look back out the door, to the unholy offspring of lightning and death. They think of all those years where Toothless was unseen and unknown, a silent killer that watched over all the other dragons. They think what he would do if he could fly alone and knew what happened to his rider.

There's an odd kind of relief with the knowledge that killing Hiccup is a bad idea.

"So here's the deal, Snotlout," Hiccup continues, suddenly business-like, and Snotlout flinches back to face him again. Hiccup is looking at him directly, determined as he only is when Toothless is on the line.

But it's not Toothless on the line, this time. It's Hiccup. Hiccup and Snotlout and the whole tribe. Snotlout wants so badly to cut him off, but this is what he came here for, right?

"You go ahead and challenge me. Do it in front of everyone – big crowd. Whatever. I won't even put up a fight, so long as you put the challenge in the dragon arena, and you win by shoving me in a cage. And the first thing you do as heir is announce that that's where I'm gonna stay for the rest of my life."

He can't move. "What?"

"You heard me," he says coldly. "You win and you chain me. You keep me where I do the most good with my dragons, and I won't even argue."

In the back of his mind, Snotlout knows that if he was smart, he'd snort and smirk and point out that it's good he didn't have to explain what was going to happen. He'd stride over, grab Hiccup's hand and force him to spit on it to seal the deal. He'd be magnanimous in victory, offering him outings to come back to the smithy every now and then, so he could make saddles. He'd even let Astrid visit him, not that she'd want to for long, what with Snotlout as heir and Hiccup being a slave, and all.

Instead, he feels frozen, and his mind is cutting between all these heroic images and…

What's going to happen the next time Alvin shows up? What's going to happen the next time there's a snowstorm and there are still people or livestock outside? What's going to happen the next time they get in over their heads and can't tell Stoick?

When everything goes bad, and everyone's all crazy and violent and not thinking straight, and Stoick can't do anything because he's got to think of the tribe, not the consequences, and Hiccup's not there… who is Snotlout supposed to look to for answers?

When his silence goes on too long, Hiccup frowns and leans forward, his eyes narrowing. "What? What, that's not good enough for you? I'll be out of the village! I'll be with the dragons, no one will ever see me except when you say so! What more do you want?" He suddenly stands up, and there's a flare of something in his face, but he bites down on his lip and it disappears as he takes a couple of steps forward. They're surprisingly shaky, and Snotlout would wonder about that except that he's having trouble thinking or breathing or doing anything, and Hiccup is right up in his face now. "Well too bad, Snotlout. I am not gonna just roll over and die. You can have my father, you can have my title, you can have everything else, but you do not get my life and you do not get to decide what happens to me. So you take this deal, or I will fight you, and you know I don't fight alone!"

Toothless snarls his agreement, but for some reason Snotlout barely hears it. He's not quite… here, in the smithy. He's somewhere else, like in the fire caves when they were looking for Hamish's treasure, or on Dragon Island facing down Alvin, or in the air, circling the Red Death and even though Hiccup is right in front of him, pale and shaking and sweating and defiant, he's not there. He's locked away. Everyone is looking to Snotlout and he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't want them to look to him. He wants… he wants…

"Just get out, Snotlout!" Hiccup suddenly snaps, and he flinches. "Challenge me tomorrow, go ahead, take everything away, but that's tomorrow, not today! Today, this is my shop, and you shouldn't be here!"

He spins away and almost makes it back to his seat before he abruptly drops to one knee. His knuckles are white on the stool, and he breathes hard, his other hand shaking as he reaches for a few papers that Snotlout didn't previously notice on the ground.

"I've got work to do before you kick me out."

Snotlout… is lost. He has no idea what to do now. Part of him wants to leave. Hiccup told him to leave, and he feels like he should.

But he can't. He… he has to…

His father won't leave this alone. The tribe won't leave this alone. They've been waiting for this for what feels like forever, and even though it all feels wrong, now, it's…

"I… I challenge… you."

He hears the words. He's got no idea who said them. Hiccup slowly looks around, and Hel herself is in his glare. But he says nothing, and Snotlout finds his jaw working, though he knows he can't possibly be speaking.

"I challenge you for your birthright."

Hiccup uses the stool to push himself up, his weight unsteady but eyes strong enough to tilt the world to catch him. Snotlout mentally staggers with it, and feels everything go still.

Hiccup. Who is weak and scrawny and could never win a fight. Who has been waiting for years for Snotlout to challenge him and fighting every single day to make sure he lives through it. Who is currently literally unable to stand on his own two legs, but is still upright and still fighting.

Hiccup has spun their whole world on its axis this year, and changed the world to suit himself. To suit what he can do. He fights in his own way. He fights with dragons.

And suddenly Snotlout knows what he needs.

"As challenger, I pick the weapons. And I pick dragons."

Hiccup blinks, and Snotlout grins, his eyes a little wide again as he stumbles forward. Yes. Yes, this is what they need. What they all need.

"I challenge you to a no-holds barred race on dragon-back. Winner takes your birthright."

Hiccup slowly lowers himself onto his stool, just staring at him, but Snotlout can see his mind racing, thinking it through, thinking everything through, as only Hiccup can do.

After a second that feels like hours, a crooked smile splits his face, and he extends a hand that Snotlout snatches up, sealing the contract.

Hiccup accepts his challenge, and Snotlout feels the world begin to realign.

* * *

_**Snotlout is fun to write around. Incredibly frustrating, but fun to write around. I may do the other side at some point, but for now, I'll let you read between the lines. **_


	2. Hiccup feels like he should have known

_**Challenge**_

(_Hiccup always feels like he should have known_)

**DISCLAIMER:** Trying very hard to make this a trilogy, but no promises at this point.

* * *

He's five when they're taken into the Great Hall and shown the shields on the wall. They've always been there, but no one's ever explained what they are, before. No one's ever told them about how each man became chief.

No one's ever told them how few chiefs die of old age.

"He killed his own father?" Astrid asks, wide-eyed and in awe.

"Don't look so scandalised," their teacher says. None of them know what she means, but she continues as if they do. "When a son kills his father for his chiefdom, it's called 'retirement'. It's a rite of passage!"

"Oh, yeah?" Snotlout shoves Hiccup so hard he stumbles. "How's Hiccup supposed to become chief, then? There's no way someone like him he could kill Chief Stoick!"

"I wouldn't want to," he says grumpily. Snotlout's been kind of mean lately. "Besides, my dad took the head off a dragon when he was a _baby_! No one could kill Stoick the Vast."

Their teacher nods wisely. "Chief Stoick is one of the strongest chiefs we've ever had, as was his father before him. But a chief isn't always decided by birth, natural death, or retirement. Some chiefs are decided by Heir Challenge, as I'm sure our next one will be."

They stare at her blankly, until Fishlegs takes the bait. "Heir Challenge?"

"Like a chief, any mature heir can be challenged for his title. Unlike most challenges, however, an Heir Challenge cannot be called off by a chief's intervention until a clear winner is seen. At that point, if the challenger is the winner, the chief has the right to elect for his former heir to be exiled, or—more often due to the shame—killed." She looks directly at Hiccup, and he's suddenly very aware of how much faster the other kids are growing, while he's just losing weight. But then she moves on and he can breathe again. "There have been two of those in our history, the most recent against Hamish the Second."

"Oh, oh! How long until you're mature, Hiccup?" asks Tuffnut. "When can you be challenged?"

"Why do you care? You're not going to do it," Astrid says, and he scowls.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to do it first!" she says, and smirks at Hiccup. "I'll beat him in two hits, and then _I'll_ be heir!"

Hiccup frowns, but Snotlout actually snorts.

"Girls can't be heir!"

"Can too!" Ruffnut snaps.

"No they can't!" argues Tuffnut.

It falls apart from there, and Hiccup feels his shoulders slump as even Fishlegs weighs in.

None of them think for a second he might actually grow up to be a good heir, after all.

* * *

He gets it. He does.

Hiccup has been a nuisance since the day he could walk. It's a well known and documented fact. His one saving grace, in sixteen years of life, has been what he's done with the dragons.

It was a big one, though. Enough to change everything. Change Berk, change his father, change him… in the last six months, he's done so much _right_, to balance out all the wrong, to the point that he actually feels good about waking up in the morning, now.

That's why he hasn't been too worried about the challenge, even now that they're old enough and Spitelout's pushing Snotlout to do it. Because Hiccup has finally done somethingright. His dad is actually proud of him now. Proud and happy enough that Hiccup has been completely confident in the knowledge that even when the challenge comes, and he inevitably loses, Stoick will have Hiccup exiled, rather than let him die honourably.

Hiccup has been completely sure of that… until now.

"_If he became an _outcast_, so to speak._"

Gobber said it, and it hit Hiccup like a tonne of ore. In all his planning, his mental preparation, Hiccup has never once thought about Alvin. He's never thought about how he'll defend himself when it's just him and Toothless against everyone that wants to train dragons.

No back up. No safe haven to return to. If he's exiled, he won't even be allowed to set foot on Berk.

He'll be captured within a month. Maybe three if the village keeps it quiet.

He wonders how long it will take for Alvin to break him. To make him train a dragon.

However long it takes, Berk can't afford to let it happen.

Stoick can't afford to let Hiccup out of Berk hands.

He's going to have to let Hiccup die.

* * *

When the white buzzing fades and Hiccup comes back to himself, he realises he and Toothless are on the dragons' hatching grounds. His cheeks feel dry and sticky, like he's dunked his face in the ocean, and there's blood on the cliffside in front of him that matches his bleeding hands.

Toothless croons and pushes his way under Hiccup's arm, nuzzling and prodding, and the memories slowly come back. He remembers running out of the forge and urging Toothless higher, faster, further, just get me out of here, bud, please, just get me away from here!

When they landed he grabbed the first thing he saw… a driftwood branch… he beat it apart, and then lashed out at anything else he could find. He thinks he's been crying.

He doesn't want to die.

Toothless sniffs at Hiccup's hands and licks at the blood before looking up at him. He looks worried, and Hiccup wonders how long he was 'out'. How long was Toothless sitting there, watching him fall apart, unable to do anything but wait?

"Oh… I'm sorry, bud," he murmurs, and bends forward to hug him as best he can from the awkward angle. "I'm sorry. I'm okay, now."

It's an odd feeling, to know he's going to die. Weirder still to know he'll die in front of everyone he's ever known, and that no one—_no one_—will even try to stop it.

The thought makes him pause, and then just stop, the concept rolling around his mind.

He straightens up, and Toothless shifts to meet his gaze again. They stare at each other for a few moments, Hiccup slowly realising he's not 'okay'. He's angry.

Hiccup is furious.

"I survived fifteen years of being the worst Viking Berk has ever seen," he tells Toothless. "Why should I just roll over and let them kill me now?"

He's not going to die. He _refuses_ to die.

For all his failings and weirdness, for all his weak body and smart brains and compassionate nature and all of that, Hiccup is still a Viking, and his father's son. He has stubbornness issues.

"They are _not_ getting rid of me that easily."

* * *

Gobber is watching him the way he does when Hiccup is pushing himself too hard, which is annoying. He's fine. His only problem right now is his leg, which he must have landed on the wrong way during his breakdown. It feels like someone tried to twist it off sideways – he can feel every leather strap digging through his leggings, and the stump throbs with every heart beat.

But he can't think about that right now. He's busy. He has plans to make. Designs. Strategies. He has to do it all now, while his brain is working so gloriously, fantastically fast.

"Hiccup?" Astrid's voice cuts through the silence, and Hiccup blinks, his mind going suddenly blank. He stares at the paper in front of him, scrabbling to remember what he was just thinking, but… it's gone. And Astrid is still talking. "Hey, Toothless. Is Hiccup here? Gobber?"

"Astrid!" Gobber disappears from Hiccup's peripheral vision, but that's not important. "Here to see our young Hiccup, are ye?"

"Uh, yeah. Is he in there?"

"He is, as a matter of fact!" His voice lowers out of Hiccup's range, and normally he'd be annoyed to know he's being talked about, but right now he's a little preoccupied with trying to figure out _what_ _he was thinking_. He doesn't look up when Astrid steps into the room.

"How's it going, Astrid?" he asks automatically. If he gets the pleasantries done quickly, she might leave him to his plans.

"I'm more interested in you…" she says slowly, moving over to lean on his desk. "You look _really_ pale."

"I'm just busy," he says. "I've got a lot to do right now."

She looks at the paper, then back at him, and somehow drags his gaze up to meet her. Considering the carefully blank face she's wearing, her voice is surprisingly gentle as she says, "Can I talk to you? It's about Snotlout."

His hand spasms slightly on his charcoal. "Can it wait?"

"I'm not sure it can," she says, and reaches over to put her hand on top of his paper, so he couldn't do anything with it even if he could remember what he was thinking. He looks at her fingers, then slowly sits back on his stool and turns to look at her properly. Her eyes flick over his face before she seems to harden, and continues. "Spitelout is getting really obnoxious, Hiccup. I'm starting to think Snotlout might actually do something this year."

He compulsively taps his charcoal against his right hand. "And?"

"What do you mean, 'and'? He's going to challenge you for your title. He wants to become heir!"

"I know that," he says blankly. "A year ago, the only question was whether you'd make the challenge before he did."

"This isn't a year ago." She stares at him in that way she does, sometimes. Like he's a puzzle she can't work out. "I would never do that to you. You know that, right?"

His mind leaps at the excellent segue. He drops his charcoal and grabs the paper he's labelled Plan B. "Maybe you should."

"What?"

"You can challenge me!" he says excitedly. "You'll be a great chief, Astrid!"

She stares at him. "Oh-kay, so Gobber's right. You _are_ running a fever," she says, and grips his shoulders to pull him upright. "Let's get you to Gothi."

"What? No! I'm fine! Don't you get it? It's the perfect solution!" he says, and twists out of her arms before she can start trying to get him out the door. "Dad even likes you, and everyone knows you've been basically leading the Academy—"

"You lead the Academy," she corrects him, and he has to skate over it for now, because they'll no doubt get into the details later. Her eyes widen in response. "Hiccup, I am not challenging you! Only winning defenders are allowed to walk away without killing their opponents!"

"No, no, no, you're wrong," he says. "You're a girl!"

She manages to look indignant through her confusion. "Excuse me?"

"It's old rules; rules about women and battle!" he explains, and turns around to find the notebook he used back when he visited the Bog-Burglar tribe with his father. "When a woman fights a man, she's not doing it for his life, she does it for his honour! If she defeats him, he has to do what she says, no matter what. The point is, you don't have to kill me, you just have to humiliate me!"

"What?" She's staring at him like he's crazy, and in the back of his mind, he wonders if he might be, just a little. He's trying very hard to cope with everything, and he's not entirely succeeding.

But rather than give in to the panic, he forgets the book and just shows her his notes for Plan B. She doesn't even look, so he explains it. "The only problem is explaining it to the tribe, but I bet we can manage it. Once you win, I'll be disgraced, but I _won't_ need to leave the island. I can be like Mildew, only less creepy. It's perfect! For everyone! We'll even get a strong, competent heir out –"

"We already have that!" she yells, and he stops, startled out of his rambling by the sharpness of her tone. She glares back. "Hiccup! I don't need to challenge you! You're _going_ to be chief one day!"

For a moment, he sways, his manic energy draining under her look. He has to take shelter in sarcasm. "Because Snotlout's so likely to lose his will to fight." Since enthusiasm doesn't seem to be working, he turns to the depressing truth, and leans back against the workbench for support. "This isn't going away, Astrid. I need to find a solution."

"A solution? To a stupid problem that shouldn't even exist? No one wants Snotlout as heir!"

"Because he's an idiot," he agrees. "Which you're not."

She throws up her hand, as if he's said something ridiculous. "Thor's sideburns, Hiccup, why are you being so dense about this? You're the heir! The best Viking on Berk! Who cares about strength, or who can win a stupid Thawfest competition? This is our future!" She snatches the papers out of his hands, apparently just to throw them aside. "You know better than this, Hiccup. You know Snotlout isn't our best option, that's why you're making plans. You just need to open your eyes and realise that _you_ are our best option."

He tries to stay patient. He does. He drums his fingers on the underside of his workbench and tries to think of the best way to phrase the facts, though it's getting increasingly hard. He tired. Tired and in pain, and so, so sick of… everything. He looks up at her again, but Astrid isn't looking at him anymore. She's staring at the paper spread across his workbench, and he realises she isn't seeing it the way he does.

"What is this? What – is this the arena? Is this Hookfang's _cage_ from the arena?" she demands, and shoves him aside. He stumbles on his bad leg, but Toothless, poking his head around the door in concern, is the only one to hear his grunt of pain as she starts shoving through his notes for Plan A. "You – you're designing a prison cell. A prison cell at the arena, so you can –"

"It's not a prison cell," he says evenly. "It's not intended for a prisoner."

"Liar!" she yells, and scatters the pages across the floor. Hiccup watches them fall with quickly thinning tolerance. "What would you rather I called it? Slavery?"

"I'm working with my best options here," he says. Each word is measured, but he knows his voice is rising with every other word. "Snotlout is going to make the challenge. He has to. The village is waiting for it. And you and I both know I can't win against him! Even in training matches, the best I've ever been able to do is dodge, and there is only so long I can do that in real battle. I have to come up with a way out!"

"And this is your plan?" she demands. "Offering yourself up as a sacrifice?"

"Well, you weren't so keen on my other idea."

"Because it's a stupid idea! If you're so set on having this challenge, why don't _you_ challenge _him_?" she shouts. "Challenger picks the weapons! Pick dragons! Toothless will destroy him!"

He can't believe what he's hearing, only minutes after she said it herself: "Challengers have to be defeated or kill their opponents! I'm not killing Snotlout!"

"Why not?"

"Astrid!"

"He'd kill you!"

"That doesn't mean I want to kill him!" he yells back, and Astrid slams her hands against the workbench, hard enough to make the whole thing shudder.

For a second, they're still. They refuse to look at each other, knowing that if they do, all they'll see is how far apart they are. For the first time in months, it feels like an ocean is opening up between them – an ocean of difference that Hiccup doesn't think he can cross.

Even before Toothless and the dragons, Hiccup has never felt comfortable with the idea of killing a human. But to Astrid, it's a fact of life. It's something she knows she will do. It's something…

"If you won't do this, Hiccup," she whispers, her voice harsh and breathless. "If you won't do this, I will. I will challenge him before he has a chance to challenge you. Because I can't –" She stops herself, takes a breath, and then finishes, "I can't let this happen."

"You'll order him not to challenge me?" he asks dully. He already knows that's not what she means, but he needs to hear her say it.

"I'm a Viking, Hiccup. Not a woman."

He nods slowly, accepting the words but nothing else. "Then I won't let you. I'm not going to let you make that choice."

He can't. He won't let that happen to Snotlout, and he won't let Astrid cross that line. He will _not_ let it happen.

"He'll kill you," she whispers, and he looks at her directly.

"He's our friend."

At first, Astrid just stares at nothing, her fingers crunching into the paper under her fists. He watches her, sees her eyes begin to shine, but Toothless creeps into the doorway with hackles raised and teeth out, like she's a predator. And Hiccup can't blame him – she looks seconds from taking up her axe.

When she breaks, it's as bad as he expects.

Astrid yells at him. She _rages_. After a while, something snaps in Hiccup and he starts shouting back. He's not sure what they end up yelling about, because it leaves Snotlout and the challenge far behind. It's angry and personal and they're both taking cheap shots about how Hiccup's naive and Astrid's violent and why either of those things matter.

Eventually, with Astrid still yelling and Toothless snarling… Hiccup just can't take it anymore. He tells her to get out. To go. He can't – he _won't_ argue with her any more, she needs to just leave him alone.

It still hurts when she does.

He near-on collapses at his workbench, head in his hands. Now all the blood is leaving his head he's vitally aware of how much his leg hurts. He shouldn't have stayed standing throughout the argument. He should have gone home when he had the chance.

Should have left Berk before he ever found that stupid nest.

"I didn't mean that," he mumbles, an instant before Toothless starts snarling again, telling him Astrid's probably back. He slams his fist against the workbench and gets back to his feet. "What? What, Astrid? What else did you want to say?"

But damn it all… it's not even Astrid.

* * *

After Snotlout changes Hiccup's entire view of the future, he's too tired to walk up the hill, so Toothless carries him home, and together they stare up at the second floor. On the one hand, Hiccup knows he can crawl up, and that it will be incredibly awkward for Toothless to climb with Hiccup on his back.

On the other hand, after everything that's happened tonight, Toothless is in full-on mother hen mode and has made it very clear how little he tolerates Hiccup being in pain.

They eye each other warily.

"Oh, there you are, son. I was looking for you."

Hiccup hops around on his good foot, hoping the movement doesn't look as awkward as it feels, and tries to look casual as his father ducks into the main room. "Dad, hi. Hi, Dad. Hi."

Needless to say, Stoick is suitably unimpressed. "Is your leg bothering you?"

"No," he says, and thinks it actually sounds convincing, right up until Toothless nudges his knee. He nearly buckles, and Stoick rolls his eyes before silently picking him up by the back of his vest and carrying him up the stairs like a cat with its newborn. Hiccup is deposited on his bed and handed a blanket, and can only scowl at his dragon's triumphant look. Even without the humiliation of being carried like a child, he feels like he's lost a game.

Then he notices his father is still there.

"Uh… thanks for that, Dad," he says, and Stoick nods, once, before rolling his shoulders and looking even more awkward than before. Hiccup fiddles with his blanket for want of anything better to do. "Um… so you were looking for me?"

"No. No, it can wait," he says, and turns away, only to pause after two steps and turn back. "Unless there was something _you_ wanted. To – to talk about."

"No," he says. Because there isn't. "No, I'm good."

"Good. That's good," Stoick begins to turn, but then stops himself and extends a hand toward him. "Not that it's good you don't want to talk. If you did want to talk, son, about anything…"

Stoick trails off, and they avoid each others' gaze, feeling increasingly awkward. They're getting much better at this talking thing, but right now, the Challenge is the giant gronkle in the room that they don't want to mention. Or at least, Hiccup doesn't. He doesn't even know how he would even go about it. 'So, Dad, today I realised that if it came down to it, you would have no choice but to let me die in a challenge for my title. I don't blame you, but that kinda puts a damper on this father/son bonding thing we've been working on. Your thoughts?'

A dull throb of pain draws him out of his musings, and he realises Stoick is apparently searching for words too. He decides to put them both out of their misery, "Really, Dad, I'm… I'm just tired, tonight."

"Tired," Stoick repeats, sounding oddly far-off. "Right."

Hiccup peeks at him through his hair. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"Right. Good… good enough, then. You take care of that leg."

He nods silently, and lets his father escape downstairs, smiling when he hears his father blow out a relieved breath at the same time he does.

Even so, he feels like a coward, and resolves to man up and talk to him in the morning.

* * *

It goes… slightly better than expected.

When he's finally allowed out of the house, his ears still ringing, he and Toothless decide to skip their morning flight and just head for the smithy. He has plans for another tailfin. Normally he goes for lighter materials, so they're fast, but he right now he wants more security. Strength. He wants something fast _and_ strong.

They're almost to the shop when he glances down at the square and notices a large cluster of people gathered around one of the feeding bowls. It's a little strange, but it's not until he recognises Spitelout's voice that he pauses to look at it properly. Everyone's been listening to Spitelout this past week, but no one's been _obvious_ about it… so something must be different.

After a few moments, Fishlegs and the twins leave the crowd and notice him. They exchange glances before heading up, but he ignores them, still watching Spitelout and the villagers, even when they reach him and Fishlegs snatches his arm.

"Hiccup, you can't be here!" he says urgently. "Not today. Not right now."

It's tempting to throw him off, but instead Hiccup lets himself be pulled away from the hillside, out of sight of the crowd. "Something going on down there?"

"It – it's Snotlout!" he whispers. "Hiccup, he says he's going to challenge you!"

"Oh. Right." He frowns and looks down at Toothless, feeling mildly disappointed but not that surprised. He's kind of been hoping they could drag this out. Because they could have. For _years_, maybe. They could have given each other time to play their parts and make it look really good, but… but no. He scowls and shakes his head. That would be a little too forward-thinking for Snotlout, wouldn't it?

_Idiot_.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs says again, regaining his attention. "Hiccup, if Snotlout challenges you, he'll kill you! If he kills you, you'll be dead! If you're dead, we won't have a teacher! We won't have a Dragon Academy! And Snotlout will be heir! We'll have Snotlout as heir, and no Dragon Academy!"

"Seriously?" he asks. "That's what you're worried about? The Dragon Academy?"

"I don't want Snotlout as heir!" he cries, flailing his arms overhead. "Do you have any idea what he'll do to me? And I'll be the only smart one in the village! I'll be doomed!"

Hiccup just gazes back at him silently, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Behind Fishlegs, the twins are watching with growing evil grins, and Hiccup's not really sure how to feel about that.

It takes a minute, but eventually Fishlegs does realise the point he's sidestepping. "And, you know, I don't want you to die, Hiccup. Really." He cringes back when Hiccup doesn't respond. "I just thought that was implied, you know?"

"Yeah, I really got that in between you worrying about not having a teacher and getting beaten up for being the smart one," he deadpans, while Ruffnut silently snickers and meets her brother in a high-five. Hiccup sighs noisily and pulls his arm free to beckon Toothless away. "Come on, bud. Let's go get this over with."

Fishlegs squeaks like a Terror and grabs Hiccup again, this time with both arms so he can lift him off the ground. Hiccup barely chokes down his own squeak by turning it into an angry "_Fishlegs_!"

"No! I'm not going to let you!" he announces, hefting Hiccup overhead. When Toothless rises onto his back legs, more startled than upset, Fishlegs squeals and nearly runs into the twins with his back-pedalling. "No! Down, Toothless! I'm doing this for Hiccup's own good!"

Toothless blinks, completely nonplussed, but Hiccup clenches his teeth and fists. "Fishlegs, you put me down or I swear to Thor –!"

"Ooh! Ooh! Toothless, protect your rider!" Tuffnut says excitedly. "Eat Fishlegs!"

"Nah, I don't think he'd fit in Toothless' stomach," Ruffnut points out. "Just bite off his head."

"Guys, not the time!" Hiccup snaps. "Would you help?"

"And miss the fun of Fishlegs kidnapping you?" she asks with a grin.

Fishlegs actually manages to look offended. "It's not kidnapping!"

"Like, really not kidnapping?" asks Tuffnut. "Or is this like how you didn't kidnap Meatlug at Snoggletog?"

Sometimes Hiccup wonders why he wants to be friends with these people, and calls for his only useful companion. "Toothless!"

The dragon starts, and then surges forward to try and grab him, but Fishlegs runs back a few steps with a shriek and Toothless' gums close on thin air. He only hesitates a moment before jumping again, but Hiccup can't help but notice he's usually a lot faster than this. After a few more lunges, and seeing how large Toothless' pupils are, he realises he's the ball in the lamest game of keep-away ever, and groans.

"Fishlegs, this isn't helping!" He tries to squirm free, but under all the fat, Fishlegs is almost as strong as Snotlout, so all Hiccup manages to do is wriggle a little. "What are you going to do, huh? Lock me up in a storage house? How is that going to help _at all_?"

"It's not forever!" he cries, ducking under Toothless' wings and running a few steps away. "We'll just hide you until Snotlout forgets about the challenge!"

"Because he's so likely to do that! Put me down!"

Toothless laughs. He actually _laughs_ when he misses Hiccup's leg by a hair. Useless reptile!

"You are not getting any salmon tonight!" he says furiously. Toothless ignores him.

"This," Tuffnut decides, as Fishlegs shrieks and has to turn on toe-point, one leg in the air, to avoid Toothless' next thrust, "is awesome."

Hiccup would argue the point, but he's preoccupied. "Fishlegs, I have a very heavy metal leg which _can_ reach your head! If you don't put me down –"

"There you are, Hiccup!"

At Snotlout's shout, both Hiccup and Fishlegs freeze. Toothless doesn't, however, and so not only manages to catch Hiccup's legs, but also yanks him out of Fishlegs' grip and into the ground.

Five seconds ago, Hiccup would have welcomed it. But right now, what this means is that as Snotlout, Spitelout, and half the freaking village appear to make the official challenge, Hiccup is sprawled in the dirt, half-covered in slobber, and pinned at the hips by a very excited dragon.

In contrast, Snotlout is in new bracers and trousers, his hair styled under his shining helmet, and stands triumphantly with his fists on his hips and a cocky smirk on his lips.

Hiccup sighs and lets his head bangs against the rocks.

He should've known this would happen.

* * *

_This went from being Hiccup, __to Toothless, to Stoick, to _Ruffnut_, to Astrid, and then back to Hiccup. I think it might show how disjointed I was…_


	3. Snotlout struggles for control

_**Challenge**_

(_Snotlout struggles to find control_)

**DISCLAIMER**: Kinda still wish I'd left it as a one-shot, to be honest, but… here we are.

* * *

Morning comes early, the sun rising before it feels like Snotlout's had time to rest, but he doesn't mind.

He's eager for the day. He does his workout faster and harder than normal, working up a glistening sweat, and bounds up the stairs to greet his parents more enthusiastically than he has in a week.

Today is the day. Last night was the night, but now they make it official.

He's done the math, of course. He knows what people will probably say, when he names dragons as weapons. Going up against the Dragon Trainer with dragons? It sounds stupid, and now he's more awake and not so… whatever he was last night, he does think it might not have been his smartest decision.

But, he decides as he spit-styles his hair, it's actually an awesome idea.

He did just win Thawfest on dragon-back, after all. So what if Hiccup trained a Nightfury? Snotlout rides a _Monstrous Nightmare_, and his dragon isn't all wishy-washy loyal like Toothless is. Hookfang is still a wild _beast_, and Snotlout enforces respect, not this trust nonsense. He commands _obedience_. And that is what an heir is supposed to do. Not… do it with niceness, or whatever.

Hiccup might be the Dragon Trainer, but he's no heir. He's not going to be having an easy time of this challenge, no-siree.

In fact, now he's thinking about it logically, Snotlout realises he'll probably still win this thing. He might have to chain the kid after all. And the look that'll be on his face… on everyone's faces…

Snotlout spends the morning with his father, announcing his intention to challenge Hiccup as soon as he can. It's fun, now. To brag. To feel the crowd's adoring gaze.

At least… it's fun until a full-bodied bellow makes everyone look up at the chief's house.

For a moment, silence reigns, everyone straining to hear just in case it's one of the chief's no-longer regular lectures at his son, or if Toothless is going to burn down the house, or if Hiccup has been doing another experiment that might risk the village's safety. But after that first explosion, the house is silent. Whatever's happening up there is too quiet to hear from here.

It does make Snotlout hesitate a little, though, his mind filling the silence with reminders of what Chief Stoick is like. If he wins… if he beats Hiccup and becomes heir… he'll have to answer to Stoick. Sometimes, he'll even have to stand up to Stoick. Tell him things he doesn't want to hear.

As the crowd begins to speak again, and Spitelout laughs, going back to his boasting, Snotlout finds himself thinking of Hiccup, and all the times he's screwed up over the years, and how he always manages to meet the chief's anger head-on, often with an eye-roll and a joke.

Snotlout can't even stand up to his own father, but Hiccup faced a dragon the size of a mountain without flinching once.

No, more than that… he freed a Nightfury, when dragons were merciless killers, without even pausing to think about what it might do to him.

And he was the first to ride dragons, and still the best.

The thought rocks Snotlout out of his shock, and he beams at the crowd, setting his fists on his hips. "It's about time we got an heir worth following, don't you think?"

He does his best to ignore a very audible scoff from what he thinks might be one of the twins, and focuses his attention on his adoring public. He gets swept up in the excitement easily, and it's all too soon that his father spots Hiccup near the smithy.

And suddenly, this is it.

This… is his moment. When everyone will look at him, hear his challenge, and think 'that Snotlout… that's a strong boy. That could one amazing chief, one day'. Win or lose, he will always have this moment.

He adjusts his belt, draws in a breath, and strides up the hill, envisioning his grand challenge, where Hiccup will cringe, and Snotlout will be strong, and impressive, and there really will be no comparison. He doesn't even look as he swings out his arm and calls, "There you are, Hiccup!"

A yelp and a thump makes Snotlout look down, to where Hiccup is sprawled in the dirt for some reason, with Toothless sitting on him, who looks very proud for an equally unobvious reason. It is just about the most perfect image Snotlout has ever seen.

Really. It is. Because here he is… great, powerful, defiant, everything an heir should be, and there is Hiccup, dirty and helpless, crushed underfoot. For his challenge, for Snotlout's dignity, this moment truly could not be better.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third!" he says grandly.

"Snotlout Jorgenson," Hiccup greets, and Snotlout ignores him like the dirt he's sprawled in.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, I hereby challenge you, in front of all these good people! I challenge you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, for your title as Hope and Heir of Berk! I issue an Heir Challenge!"

"Yeah." It's so casual that Snotlout is startled out of his moment to stare again. Hiccup pushes Toothless off him and gets to his feet with a bored-sounding breath. "Yeah, I got that."

It's only the knowledge that everyone's staring at them that keeps Snotlout from gaping at him. Hiccup just looks back, bland and bored and there's something in his eyes that makes Snotlout feel like he's the one doing something wrong.

His moment suddenly doesn't feel so great anymore.

"Son!" his father hisses, and Snotlout jerks, dragged back to what he's doing. He draws himself up with a breath.

"As challenger, I pick the weapons!" he reminds the crowd. "And I pick dragons!"

"You what?" Spitelout snaps, and Snotlout turns, preparing the speech he's been telling himself all morning. About how he can do this. He'll prove he's better than Hiccup, no matter the method. But his father isn't given time to demand explanations, and Snotlout's thoughts are cut off as he is abruptly yanked around until he's staring into a pair of icy blue eyes.

"Say that again," commands Astrid.

* * *

It takes two days to organise the race.

They are, hands down, the worst two days of Snotlout's life, and they are more than enough to make him think he should have picked swords.

Hiccup doesn't help. He doesn't speak to anyone about Snotlout's choice of weapons, just looks to him with those weird, pointy looks he gets sometimes. The only person Hiccup does explain things to is Astrid, leading her away by the hand and speaking in a dark overhang while Snotlout is left alone to face his father.

His friends desert him. Fishlegs avoids him like the plague, and the twins are even worse than usual, Tuffnut pulling prank after prank, Ruffnut making her usual backward comments that she thinks no one notices. He tells Hiccup to talk to them, but he just shakes his head.

"I can't help out with this, Snotlout. No matter what happens, we've gotta find our own way until this is over. Or it won't mean anything."

Ugh. Why does he have to be so smug all the time? "Well, maybe I don't think it'll mean anything if you come out of this looking like some tragic hero! You know, I'm doing you a favour here, Hiccup! The least you could do is show a little gratitude!"

"Gratitude," he repeats, slowly, like he doesn't get it. "We're only having this challenge because the tribe thinks you want to kill me."

"Yeah, and now I'm giving you a chance to survive," he points out, and then, just because it kind of hurts that Hiccup hasn't been helping him with any of this, he adds, "Slim as it is."

Hiccup just stares at him for a long moment, his jaw clenching, before he smiles that sharp, angry smile Snotlout suddenly realises he hasn't seen for a while. It kind of makes him feel bad, but honestly, he's just too sick of everyone's attitude to care. The adults all think he's doing the right thing – once he explained things, even his father said it was the best challenge he could have made. But he's still being treated like the bad guy.

He doesn't regret choosing dragons, but… but when it's announced that the race will be that in name only, and the winner will be declared when one of the fliers can't race anymore, he thinks long and hard about artificial legs and tailfins and Hookfang's fire.

At he thinks that at least no one can say he didn't give Hiccup a chance.

* * *

The day of the challenge comes none too soon, and Gobber outlines the course with none of his usual smiles or jokes.

Spitelout decided on the rules, and Gobber on the track. There are long sections of flying channels, each leading to an 'arena' where the tribe can watch them fight. The 'race' doesn't end until one of the dragons can't fly.

Toothless has a new tailfin, with more metal that looks like it weighs him down. It still stands out, too, so Snotlout's not sure what the point is. His eyes drop to Hiccup's leg, and the pedal it's designed to hook into, and wonders if he'll need to melt it or just warp it out of shape, until something makes him look up again. Hiccup is looking at him. He looks like he knows what Snotlout is thinking, but like he doesn't quite understand it.

As they move toward their dragons and the starting line, he wonders why Hiccup's made everything so hard. Why couldn't he just… play along? Act like his usual weakling self, then put up a good fight anyone would be proud of, no matter how it ended? Why's he gotta be all stoic and practical and… and seriously, why can't anything ever go the way Snotlout expects it to, anymore?

"Hey, Snotlout…?"

It's so quiet, he almost doesn't hear Hiccup under the buzz of the crowd. But he does, and looks up with narrowed eyes. "What?"

For a moment, Hiccup just looks at him with a weird expression. Snotlout's got no idea how to explain it – it kind of looks a little annoyed, a little sad, a little confused, but there's something in it that makes him think Hiccup actually knows everything ever. It's a look that has never failed to annoy Snotlout, and his fists clench as he climbs into Hookfang's saddle. "What do you want, Hiccup?"

He hesitates, and Snotlout scoffs, looking away. "Aside from ruining everything, I mean."

"Ruin-" Hiccup moves toward him, disbelieving. "Snotlout, all we have to do is –"

"I _know_ what I have to do, Hiccup," he snaps. "All I have to do is beat you. And then everything will go back to the way it should be."

Hiccup stops again, falling back on his good foot. "Snotlout, I –"

"What?"

He looks at him now, and Hiccup looks back with that same look. Then something in him seems to shift, and he clenches his jaw before turning and getting up onto Toothless. "If that's how you want it."

He almost echoes himself at Thawfest, but holds himself back at the last second, because he refuses to admit that this moment feels exactly the same. He refuses to admit that all he can think of is how much he feels like he's on a cliff, with Hiccup behind him, able to push or save him, and Snotlout having no idea which he'll do.

He tries to remind himself that this is different to Thawfest. He made this situation. He made this challenge.

This time, he's in control.

Stoick steps up in front of them, and Snotlout steels himself for the speech. The chief has always been good at speeches. They rile you up, get you excited, make the blood pump fast and hot.

But even though he's expecting it… the speech doesn't come. Stoick just says what needs to be said: "We are here to decide the Hope and Heir of Berk and the Hooligan Tribe. Challenger, come forth and name your weapon."

That's right. He's the challenger. He made this. He's in control. "I am… I am Snotlout Jorgenson. And I name the dragon Hookfang as my weapon."

His voice is quieter than he thought it would be. He feels breathless.

"Defender, come forth and…" Stoick trails off, and suddenly, the crowd goes silent. Stoick visibly swallows before quietly finishing, "come forth and name your weapon."

Snotlout doesn't see, because he does it too, but he can feel everyone—the whole tribe—look at Hiccup. And finally, Snotlout sees what he wants to – he sees tiny, weak, insignificant Hiccup, who has never won anything in his life, who lost his leg, who is riding one of the smallest dragons in Berk and the only one that can't fly alone.

But then Hiccup nudges Toothless, and they step forward into the reflected light of the glacier, Hiccup's shoulders rolling back and his eyes gaining that edge they get around Alvin. His voice is stronger than Snotlout has ever heard it. "I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, son of Stoick the Vast, and as defender, I name my weapon. I name the Nightfury, the offspring of lightning and death! I name Toothless!"

He ends on a shout as Toothless roars, echoed by Astrid's excited cheer and Fishlegs' whoop, and all around, the crowd ripples as they break into furious applause. Stoick rocks back on his heels, then beams and claps his hands, breaking into an energetic, inspiring speech that's barely heard over the tribe's excitement.

But Snotlout barely notices. He's still staring at Hiccup. At weak, tiny, insignificant Hiccup… who is humiliating him. Again.

And all Snotlout's reservations leave him far behind.

Hiccup is asking for this.

Stoick barely gives the go-ahead before Snotlout orders an attack, but Toothless is already in the air. Hookfang's jaws clamp down on nothing, an instant before he has to pull back to avoid a plasma blast.

Snotlout looks up, and is furious to see Hiccup isn't even looking at him – he's eyeing off the crowd, and when he does look down, his expression doesn't match his cocky statement, "I still don't know the Nightfury shot limit. Should we find out what it is?"

"You won't get the chance!" he snaps back, and urges Hookfang up. He'll do this with teeth and claws if he has to.

Snotlout's never really paid much attention to Hiccup's lessons on communication, preferring his own method of shouting, but now he wishes he had. He's always known that Hiccup doesn't direct Toothless with words as much as he does… something else, and they're all kind of aware that Hiccup mostly gives verbal orders to Toothless for their own benefit. But today there's no 'evasive manoeuvres', or 'give him a warning shot', or anything. Just "Alright buddy, let's go," before he suddenly shoots up and into the clouds, leaving Snotlout and Hookfang alone with the tribe.

He clenches his teeth and jerks on Hookfang's horns. "Fly, Hookfang! We'll take them out at the first arena!"

That's the plan. It's how it should have happened. But he's only halfway up the island pass when he's almost knocked out of the saddle by Toothless zooming up out of the ocean, so close his wings smack Hookfang's head. His dragon roars in response and lunges for the tailfin, but Toothless only flips mid-flight and looses another plasma blast, this one close enough to singe Snotlout's boots.

It's terrifying enough to stop him for a second, which is why Toothless can pause long enough for Hiccup to look at Snotlout properly. "This thing doesn't end until one of us can't fly anymore. We've –"

"I know that!" he yells, still too shocked from his near-miss to think properly. "And you know what else I know? That tailfin of yours is an easy target! Hookfang, _annihilate_!"

They barely dodge the blast and Snotlout feels a horrible spike of pleasure when Hiccup cries out. Serve him right. Serve all of them right!

"Okay, wow, so, um," Hiccup leans forward to continue shouting as Toothless flaps a few yards higher, and maybe he doesn't realise he's just putting his tailfin at a better angle to shoot, "are you putting on a really good show just in case someone sees us on their way to the arena, or have you actually managed to forget what we're doing here?"

"What we're doing here if I'm showing everyone just how much better I am than you!" he shouts. "Hookfang!"

Hookfang rockets up, and Toothless has to spin, wings tight in to his body, to avoid the collision. The move brings Hiccup's back into reaching distance, and Snotlout slams his fist into his shoulder for good measure as they slam past.

"Don't go kidding yourself, Hiccup!" he calls as they straighten and Hiccup glares up at him, holding his shoulder as if that might dull the pain. "The only reason you've made it this long is because I was gracious enough to give you a challenge you wouldn't _totally_ screw up."

"What are you talking about?" he demands. "I thought we had an understanding!"

No. They had a deal. Hiccup got to live, maybe even got to keep his title, because Snotlout let him. And Hiccup was supposed to be grateful. He and the whole village were supposed to see Snotlout for the great hero he was.

And then, sure… sure, then Hiccup could win, and everything could go back to normal. But Hiccup just had to… It's just…

He didn't even have one day—_one day_—of being Thawfest champion before it became all about Hiccup. They should have been celebrating his win all week. They should've been talking about how great he was going to be when he was fully grown. What a future he had. What he could do for the tribe.

It's just like the last six months, and how all he's heard, every damn day…

And now this, his big challenge, his moment of glory…

He was grand. He was gracious. He was going to be such a graceful loser that for once, everyone would say 'It might not have been the Viking thing to do, but Snotlout sure did the right thing! What a hero!' That was how it was supposed to go.

But instead, all anyone's been saying is how strong Hiccup is being, how brave he is to face it. How prepared and poised and amazing _Hiccup_ is.

They barely notice Snotlout at all.

"What I understand," he grinds out through clenched teeth, "is that you don't deserve this. And I'm going to prove it!"

Hiccup's eyes flare wide for a split-second before he drops against Toothless and they spiral down into a dive, out of the way of Hookfang's next shot. They swoop down and away, out of range, and Snotlout urges Hookfang after them, but it's too late. They're already working their way back up, and in seconds, they've disappeared into the clouds.

Snotlout roars in frustration, and then flinches as he realises what's happening. He's seen Hiccup and Toothless do this before. He's heard Hiccup rant about it endlessly in his tactics and trust lessons. "When you're in the air, you're not in our world, you're in theirs. You need to think like a dragon. Some rely on power, some on speed, some on tactics. A striker is most dangerous when you can't see them. They hide, and then hit hard. You won't see them coming."

"Hookfang," he says, staring everywhere and seeing nothing. "Hookfang, we need to get out of here. Go. Move!"

Hookfang bolts through the sky, heading for the arena ahead, but Snotlout knows he won't make it. The weird thing is that he almost feels calmer for knowing it. In control. He's gonna get hit by a plasma blast. Gonna fall. Maybe he'll get a scar. A hero's trophy…

He's jerked out of those thoughts by a strike to the back of his head. It feels like a fist, with practically no strength to it, but it's still surprising enough that he falls forward onto Hookfang's head. That shocks them both enough that neither can react as short, stubby claws snatch at Snotlout's belt and yank him out of the saddle.

He gapes as he's lifted up and away, unable to do anything but watch as Hiccup drops into Hookfang's saddle with a satisfied grunt.

Hookfang, the traitor, only looks mildly bewildered until Hiccup scratches his jaw, at which point he apparently stops caring and continues flying without complaint. Hiccup then looks up at Snotlout, who can do nothing but stare back.

"Wha – how?" He looks up at Toothless, who looks nervous but focussed. A glance at the tailfin shows it's out straighter than usual, and isn't moving with tiny adjustments the way it usually is. Because Hiccup's locked it, he realises. He's locked it so Toothless can glide.

"Okay, bud, just like we practiced," Hiccup coaches. "Just angle yourself toward the water and I'll be back for you as soon as I can."

"What?" Snotlout demands. "What's going on?"

Hiccup actually glares at him, hot and heated like that night in the forge, which suddenly seems so long ago. "This ends when one of us can't fly anymore. I'll fight you in your stupid challenge when you figure out how to fly my dragon," he says furiously, but then leans down to scratch Hookfang's jaw again with a smile. "Hey, Hookfang. Ready to win an Heir Challenge?"

The traitorous lizard roars, and Hiccup nods to Toothless. That's the last Snotlout sees before he's taken away, out of control, down to the ocean below.

* * *

It's bad enough that he gets dumped in the water as Toothless all but crashes into the ocean. Bad enough that he's forced to swim, panicked and freezing, to a rock more than a hundred yards away, with Toothless scrambling up beside him. Bad enough that he's been humiliated, a dozen times over, in the space of half an hour, much less the million times in the last six months.

But somehow all of that is nothing compared to the humiliation of Hiccup riding Hookfang down to him less an hour later, with Astrid following behind on Stormfly.

Snotlout has been ignoring Toothless for ages, so it's easy to ignore them, too.

"Hey, buddy," Hiccup greets Toothless before he's even off Hookfang, and as soon as he is, Toothless is nuzzling into his stomach, needy and affectionate. Something Hookfang is not, Snotlout notes as Hiccup checks Toothless' tail. "How'd you go? Everything work out okay? You are going to get so much salmon tonight."

Toothless licks him excitedly, but Hiccup only laughs softly before turning his attention to Snotlout. He sighs as he scratches Toothless' plates. "That wasn't the way I wanted things to go."

"Of yeah?" he snaps. "Seems like you got exactly what you wanted. To humiliate me. Again."

"You made the challenge, Snotlout," he points out. "Your dad was the one who made the rules."

"He expected a fight!"

"What, you wanted me to blast you?" he asks. "You could've gotten really hurt!"

"At least that would've had some dignity! Geez, Hiccup, what is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with _me_?" he repeats incredulously. "You think getting dumped in the ocean is worse than being blasted by plasma over a hundred-foot drop?"

"Oh, you're just so –"

"Enough!"

They both jump. Normally Astrid is so hard to ignore, wherever she goes, but up until now he's almost forgotten she's there. He stares at her, surprised to discover she's not frowning at him for once, but Hiccup.

"Go back to the celebration, Hiccup. Your father wanted you back as soon as you got Toothless."

It's even more surprising when Hiccup scowls at her. "I'm not going to –"

"Hiccup?" she says, holding out a hand, "Don't. Just go, okay?"

"Astrid –"

"_Go_," she says again, and for a moment, they're both very still, gazing at each other silently. But in the end, Hiccup inclines his head and gestures to Toothless. In one smooth movement, he gets in the saddle and Toothless leaps into the air, leaving Snotlout alone with Astrid and the dragons.

He can't help but scoff. "Great chief we've decided on there. Lets a woman push him around."

"You wanna rethink that statement before you hurt yourself?" Astrid offers, her tone dangerous and look even more so. He considers it, because he's in the mood for a little pain, but he's never been one to hit girls and that's the only way this can end. So instead he just looks away, and Astrid lets out an angry breath before walking toward him. "I'm not going to say this again, so I hope you're listening. You did good today."

He frowns, sure he must have heard wrong, but doesn't look up as Astrid sits down beside him.

"You know… back in Dragon Training, it drove me nuts, hearing everyone talk about how great Hiccup was," she says evenly. "How he was going to win dragon training. How he was so amazing. So great. How he was better than I was. I hated it. Hated him."

"Yeah, that really lasted," he mutters, and is amazed when she doesn't hit him.

"Everything changed when he took me on that flight. Me, him… the whole world. It all changed around me. And after that, I was okay with everything," she continues quietly. "I was okay with it, because I realised that it _wasn't_ that he was better, he was just – it was _all_ just different."

"Yeah, he's the big hero. I really needed that reminder."

She finally starts glaring at him. "You made that challenge. You picked the weapons."

He doesn't say anything. He has nothing to say, because she's right. Her glare lessens as the silence continues, and she asks, "Why did you do it? Why challenge Hiccup to dragons?"

She won't accept the story he gave his father, he already knows. But right now, sitting here, humiliated, angry, wet and cold and miserable… he can't remember the real reason either.

"I think it's because you wanted him to win," she says softly. "You like the changes he's made, and you want to see what else he can do."

"No, I don't," he snaps, and then wonders if that's true.

"It's harder now, isn't it?" she asks, her voice hard for all its quietness. "Things used to make more sense when it was all about being strong. We understood how everything worked. Now, everything's different."

"It wouldn't have to be if he didn't change everything all the time!" he says furiously. "Why can't he do anything like I expect?"

"I don't know. Because he's the village hiccup, I guess," she says, and he scowls, but says nothing. Astrid continues looking at him expectantly for a few moments, then sighs and gets back to her feet. "At least he's easier to crack than you are. I'm done trying to get through to you."

"What?" he asks, and she raises her eyebrows, setting a hand on her hip.

"I'm not a talker, Snotlout. I tried the honey, now this is the hatchet. Things aren't going back to the way they were. We have dragons now, and our future won't be made on the edge of a sword. Now, you can stay here on this rock. Cling to what was and play your little strength games; that's fine. You can even challenge Hiccup again in a few months, but I promise you that even if your weapons are hammers he can't lift, nothing will change. Whatever the challenge, Hiccup will meet it, and you'll lose. He's too smart to just roll over and die, whatever he says.

"But if you want to stop wallowing in your own self-pity, you can get up and come back with me to the celebration. You can admit the world is changing, stand alongside us as a Dragon Rider, and face the future like a man. Because as far as I'm concerned, Snotlout, a real man—a real _Viking_—always faces forward. And he does what's best for the tribe, no matter what that means." She pauses, looking at him for a moment. "And you know, for just a little while, when you made that challenge, it's what I actually thought you were doing."

He frowns, not following, and she extends her hand.

"So are you coming with me, or not?"

For a long moment, he just looks at the offer. It's not really about helping him to his feet, he knows. So he doesn't take it. He just gets up, and meets her gaze, and she narrows her eyes in silent challenge.

They were pretty words. Almost sound inviting. But she forgot to mention that they come along with a heavy helping of just ponying up to follow Hiccup's lead. No honour, no glory, just… doing what you're told.

But… but didn't he only make this challenge because everyone told him it was what he was supposed to do?

Now he thinks about it… no wonder he hasn't felt in control since before Thawfest.

Except when he chose weapons.

He made that challenge. He made the situation he's in now.

That was definitely some control.

He smirks and saunters over to Hookfang before looking back at Astrid. "You know, I made that challenge because it was something Hiccup had a chance of winning."

"Yeah," she says slowly, walking back to Stormfly and watching him carefully. "And he did."

"Yeah. Just like I wanted him to. This whole thing? Just like I planned."

Astrid's mouth slowly opens as she stares at him, but she says nothing, and he climbs into Hookfang's saddle, repeating his own words in his head.

This was his challenge. His day. He decided this was going to happen. It could have gone differently, no matter what Astrid says.

He nudges Hookfang into the air, and doesn't look back as Astrid watches him go. If he goes to the celebration, it's to be the graceful winner he planned to be. The hero on the sidelines. Exactly like he wanted.

The world may be changing, but Snotlout at least has that measure of control.

* * *

_**Okay, so, this isn't really a happy ending… But it occurs to me that given that Snotlout's general story-arc is his struggle with right and wrong, I'm okay with that. How about you?**_


End file.
